Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

OPINION

Chamber committed to helping community with JobsNow initiative | Opinion

As our battle against the coronavirus evolves here and globally, inevitable losses we may suffer don’t prevent some gains we have an opportunity to realize. Already we are tapping into our innate ability to reach deep within ourselves to find the strength and determination to persevere.

In this most unprecedented time, every one of our families, businesses, organizations, governments, neighborhoods and overall community are prioritizing “safety first” as the new normal — which ironically has united us in our required separation. While few could have imagined this prolonged state of crisis, we are all adjusting in a monumental cooperative effort to get through it – together.

This month marks my 20th year serving as president and CEO of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. These past few weeks have been the most trying of my career, because our responsibility and commitment to serve have been challenged as never before. Working, learning, living at home has changed what we all do and how we do it – hopefully without losing our ability to be responsive and productive.

In every sector – public, private and nonprofit – we share an active concern for how this crisis will negatively impact our families, friends, neighbors, colleagues and our future.

Understandably, a feeling of being overwhelmed by the harsh reality of this worldwide threat can take root. But we have demonstrated the powerful resolve to push through the dark moment of any day to get through this – for ourselves and each other.

Beyond protecting the health of every individual, the loss of jobs is among the most serious fall-outs of this crisis. A skyrocketing local, state and national unemployment rate will be one of the legacies of this virus – and our community already is embracing the need to help our neighbors get back to work.

As one of the Chamber’s strategic priorities is talent/workforce, one of our principal roles is to help connect people with skills and talent to job opportunities that can help stabilize their families. Even in this difficult time, there are jobs to be found.

Working with community partners, our goal is to help match employers with prospective employees. We are working tirelessly to promote the opportunities available in Tallahassee for people to find a job right now. We are calling this new and focused effort Jobs Now.

Despite the mounting challenges of this moment, there are still opportunities present in Tallahassee. As part of the JobsNow initiative, we will regularly update the community about the companies and organizations that are putting people to work.

In one of the worst times in the life of our community, we expect to do some of our most important work in the days ahead – to play a role in helping those who need a job learn of new opportunities.

A job is a ticket to the future for those who have lost theirs – and we are committed to helping open up that future.

Stay safe, Tallahassee, and let’s stay together in getting through this difficult time.

Sue Dick is president and CEO of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached via email at sdick@talchamber.com. To learn more about the JobsNow initiative, visit talchamber.com/jobsnow.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Send letters to the editor (up to 200 words) or Your Turn columns (about 500 words) to letters@tallahassee.com. Please include your address for verification purposes only, and if you send a Your Turn, also include a photo and 1-2 line bio of yourself. You can also submit anonymous Zing!s at Tallahassee.com/Zing.

Submissions are published on a space-available basis. All submissions may be edited for content, clarity and length, and may also be published by any part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.